Leicester Conference Examines Mental Capacity Act

Irwin Mitchell Holds Inaugural Event In The City

23.03.2011

A leading serious injury expert speaking at a Leicester conference says it is vital that the Mental Capacity Act is kept under review to ensure the best possible protection for those people unable to make their own decisions.

Leading national law firm Irwin Mitchell, which recently opened a consulting office in Leicester, held its inaugural Serious Injury Conference at the Marriott Hotel in the city.

Jane Wright, a Partner in Irwin Mitchell’s award-winning Serious Injury team, said: “Everyday we work with people who have been left unable to make their own decisions, usually as a result of a serious illness or head injury.

“The Mental Capacity Act is a framework to protect these people, and it makes clear who can take decisions on their behalf, in what situations they can make them and how they should go about this.

“Although the Act has been operating for six years we still receive many enquiries and queries about how it affects people in practice, so we decided to host this conference to get under the skin of the Act.

“Conferences like this provide a great opportunity for professionals to get together and share ideas about how the Act works and how it could be improved. It is vital that we maintain these discussions to keep the Act evolving so that it best serves the needs of those unable to make their own decisions.”

Speakers at the event discussed how successful the Mental Capacity Act had been since it was introduced six years ago, and included a keynote talk from Martin John, the Public Guardian and the Chief Executive of the Office of the Public Guardian, who is responsible for overseeing the administration of services to people who are under the Court of Protection.

There was also a talk from Dr Neil Brooks, Director of Rehab Without Walls, about vulnerability, while Jane Wright, a Partner in Irwin Mitchell’s Serious Injury team, and Ruth Wright, a Partner in Irwin Mitchell’s Court of Protection team, gave their views from their experiences of working with clients under the Court of Protection.